The Real Reason
by DarkestBeforeDawn1980
Summary: This is the real reason Ethan lost it in his match against Rhino. Rated T. Pre-Slash. EC3/Spud. Drabble. Oneshot.


**I am in love with this pairing; it's official - ECSpud rules! :D Last night I watched TNA with my Dad, like I do every Sunday, and watched the match between *Spoiler* Ethan and Rhino - and I went all fangirl and screamed ECSpud over and over while getting weird looks from my father. Anyway, after the match I wrote this story/drabble about the real reason Ethan showed his dark side - I would have posted it last night but by the time I finished it was 11pm and I just couldn't keep my eyes open. That's enough rambling for today I think XD**

**WARNINGS: Pre-Slash. Kiss. ECSpud. Drabble/storyish. Enjoy...**

The Real Reason...

Ethan was a smart man, young, sane and incredibly handsome. Someone who knew how to fight when it was called upon, someone who was a Carter, extremely rich - and used people. It was as simple as that.

He had used Rhino to fight for his Auntie, to protect her, giving the elder male a lot of money to do so. Obviously regretting it after Aunt D went through the table, but there was nothing he could have done to stop it at the end of the day-it had been inevitable - however, Ethan never paid Rhino to form an interest with a certain Brit...

He never paid for Rhino to make Spud blush, giggle or look at him like he used to look at Ethan. He never paid Rhino to take Spud away from him, to make Ethan lose the only good thing he had in his life that didn't involve money...Spud would follow him anywhere, be there for him even when he was hurt...They had shared a bond that Ethan didn't think could be possible. He was a Carter, after all - and Spud was...well, Spud.

But he didn't pay Rhino to get in the way, pull Spud away and keep him at arms distance instead of where he belonged - next to Ethan, beside him, close to him - never away from him. But Rhino had taken that away, Spud was no longer beside Ethan, he no longer went home late at night with the brown-eyed Carter only for them to accidentally fall to sleep on the sofa together, or on long coach rides where Spud would practically fall asleep against Ethan's shoulder.

All the women who had complimented Ethan through his life, which happened to be more than any human could possibly count, none of it seemed to matter to him whenever Spud said something to him - complimenting a match or how he looked - it didn't take Ethan long to realise that the only persons approval he needed was Spud's.

And yet Rhino took that away. Ethan wasn't jealous, of course he wasn't - a Carter does NOT get jealous - he just couldn't help but let his anger get the better of him.

That's why he "betrayed" Rhino, beating him down before a match between them was announced, and for the first time in a while it was a match he looked forward too after weeks, months of gritting his teeth as Rhino touched Spud's arm or side - he couldn't wait to show the older male not to mess with something that didn't belong to him - something that only belonged to a certain Carter named EC3.

Spud had tried to talk him out of it, pleading with him to just let Rhino walk away, but no matter what he did, Ethan had set his mind onto making sure Rhino knew he had done wrong, he had gone too far. Rhino probably already knew with the way he smirked as though he had already won gold - and now Ethan wanted to retain that gold and make sure it was never up for grabs again.

Ethan had taken a few blows, some that knocked him back more than he would have liked and he had even had his doubts that he would win, but then he saw Spud looking at him with concerned eyes after getting Rhino's attention - and Ethan got back up and he fought harder than necessary before grabbing a metal chair and ramming it into Rhino over and over again.

He had surprised the fans, the ref, Spud, Rhino and even himself at the rage that poured out of him as he rapidly whacked the older male with the chair until he felt something touch his arm and he turned around, chair still in hand as he stopped just in time as he saw Spud fall to the mat - fearing running throughout his eyes as he begged Ethan to stop.

It wasn't intentional. He didn't mean to scare Spud, he definitely wouldn't have hurt him, but seeing those normally bright eyes filled with fear that Ethan had made...something snapped. Ethan could feel the rage he had slip away as though it hadn't even been there in the first place.

Tossing the chair down, Ethan walked away slowly as he got out of the ring, he had seen Spud fearful, but never before had he been the one to form that emotion in the smaller males eyes.

It hurt. Ethan didn't know why, but it hurt as a million thoughts ran through his head at once; would Spud forgive him? Would he trust him again? Had he ruined the only thing worth fighting for in his life?

Ethan felt Spud beside him, he glanced back, seeing Spud trying to keep calm and brave even though he probably wanted to bolt it from the Carter.

Shaking his head, Ethan walked backstage, knowing Spud would follow, once behind the curtain, Ethan didn't care who saw it - he turned to the Brit and grabbed his white shirt before pulling him closer - slamming their lips together as he moved his arms down and picked Spud up into an embrace as the kiss was returned.

They parted for a short moment and Ethan felt a smile grace his face as he saw Spud blushing with that sparkle back in his eyes as he sat comfortably in Ethan's arms.

Resting his head against Spud's, Ethan's brown orbs looked into Spud's grey/green ones. "Please don't leave my side, Spud...I need you..." _'I love you,'_ he thought as Spud gently kissed him again.

"I never did," his Brit replied as they looked at each other before suddenly hearing a bunch of whistles and snapped their heads to the side only to see almost all of the roaster staring back at them, some cheering and even telling them to get a room.

Ethan smirked as Spud jumped from his arms and hid behind him as they made their way pass the others and towards the locker room, the whole way back Ethan held tightly onto Spud's hand. Now that he had won the gold; he wasn't going to give it up...

**I have no idea if I'll continue this or keep it as a one-shot, let me know what you think because I really enjoyed writing this. =) Fans of _Hidden Heart's_ (which is another ECSpud story) I'm thinking about writing a second chapter, so if I do - keep your eyes peeled. Cheers for reading and my bad about all the mistakes. :)**


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